Gehring Road

i love you closet

One of my many ambitions for this summer was to get a bit more organized, and for me the epicenter of disorganization was my closet. Rob and I snagged some new hardware (and some amazing baskets) at Lowes last weekend and the closet project commenced. It started with me removing everything from my closet and dumping it into the loft... which was quite the sight... naturally I then took off for Vermont... ahem. Yesterday the closet got a new coat of paint, the doors and trim did as well and the installation started. Rob surprised me by finishing the last few details this morning before he headed to work (love him) and I spent a luxurious morning just hanging, folding, weeding out a few more items for good will.  It's done, and I love it.  

... the side poles took the place of wire shelves that weren't keeping anything other than clothes I wasn't wearing... now they house my dresses (and some garment bags for fancy dresses) and the other side has storage for sweaters... those baskets hold socks and things and pull out... genius... the shoe storage is from Real Simple...

... that little caddy for sweaters holds about four or five sweaters I was amazed while putting them in...

... with clothes! We decided to double the space by making the top rung higher and putting in a lower rack to house pants and skirts (and yes, I do own red pants...) still plenty of room to vacuum and see everything in the morning while getting ready for work... love...

... and just a little detail... mirror and basket for scarves and small bags...

This is probably more than you would ever want to see or read about anyone's closet so thank you for indulging me... we've been talking about this little project for a while now and I'm so thrilled with it.  My incredibly patient guy took my vision and strange suggestions ("how will you get to your dresses and sweaters in the corners if you have a shelf all the way across?" he wondered... hmmm, good point I thought) and made them even better, as he does. I even had time for a little project while I was impatiently waiting for the paint to dry... more on that tomorrow.  Happy Wednesday... I hope it finds you enjoying all that is in front of you.  

i need new plates

Plate Wall seen at MmmCrafts Blog

Oh my, I'm loving, loving, loving a plate wall, especially for our dining room, especially arched around the light on the buffet table. Now I need some plates.  Here are some I have my eye on...

Plates from Anthropologie, Target, Pier1 and West Elm

I love these plates, the idea of a little eclectic mix of vintage and new plates on the wall and the best part about these displays is that they are easily changed.  Though the holes in the wall... urgh... Anyway, want some more plate walls? There are some amazing ones here, here, and here... love that idea of testing the design first, I might not have thought of that... ahem. 

We're enjoying the sun for the first time in over a week around here.  It's been coming out for an hour or so at a time, only to destabilize the atmosphere and create thunderstorms and more clouds, but we'll take what we can get.  May has been rainy... but perfect for idea (and plate!) shopping. Small victories. Right now I'm loving a lemon scented candle, some down time after a busy day, and ideas for this fabric purchased as a be-lated birthday present for myself... (I'm 32 as of Wednesday!). I hope this weekend finds you joyful, creative, productive (if that makes you joyful) and spending time doing exactly what you most love to do.  Happy weekending to you and yours! 

where i blog about the snow... again... i'm sorry.

One of the strangest occurrences that come with near constant snow is the absolute change in landscape that occurs right out the window... I simply have never seen this much snow.  Here in Connecticut we have about 4 feet of snow on the ground, more continues to fall and the snow piles are at about 6 feet on our deck (that was done to prevent the roof from collapsing... imagine the irony if the deck collapses... I've had those thoughts...). I'm not going to do a before and after because quite frankly, I might cry looking at pictures of grass and no snow.  So I'll just share the tundra that is our home in things disappearing...

 ...like the weathervane on the garage... I think it's pointing South... that might be a good suggestion...

 ...the chiminea... 

  ... the grill...

 ...the trees... and sort of the garage...

 ...the front hedge...

 ...the deck and the trellis...

All this should be covered with a lovely coating of ice coming during the day tomorrow... we're told to expect 1/2 to 3/4 inch of accumulation... sigh... frustrating I tell you, frustrating.  I hope that where you are, you are safe and out of the elements.  Good thing the groundhog will be unable to crawl out of his hole and see his shadow tomorrow, there is a light at the end of this tunnel.  Spring must be around the corner. Happy Tuesday. 

the state of gehring road and a winner... or two!

That one photo kind of sums up where I've been... and my reasons for the absolute abandonment of this blog.  The giveaway bag(s) are there as are a few swaps, fabric for this year's Thanksgiving place mats and napkins waiting to be cut, fabric squares cut for last quarter's bee (lateness...) and oh those scissors... did they get a work-out... more on that later.

So as a way to make up for my (I'd say forgetting, but it's more like falling asleep at 7:30 each night this week) lateness in picking a winner, I figured the only possible way to make it up to you is by choosing two! The Random Number Generator tells me they are...

#12 Brooke... what a fun thing!!! just lovely.. i would have been in heaven with all of those gorgeous quilts! and even seeing the one with her new line in it (that i've been questionable about), looks gorgeous! i'd love to win a scrap bag, since i am on a fabric buying freeze for the rest of the year ;) xoxo

and...

#15 Kaye... Gosh, I just would have loved to have been there too! I don't know how you possibly could have withstood buying one of the quilts!

I'll be in touch ladies!  As you're reading this post, I'm mulling around my loft tidying and getting ready to be crafty, how I love that.  Can't wait to share more of what I've been up to... In the meantime, here is more of the state of things around here...

... the state of Rob this Sunday, painting the trim now that he is the undisputed painting master here, behind him lies the state of the laundry... don't look...

...the state of the walls... Coventry Grey... how I love it... 

... well worth the drama... here, in case you missed it... the most lovely color grey...

    ...the state of the curtains... chosen, fabric purchased, arrived and waiting to be finished... I'm following this tutorial...

So that's where we are this weekend... looking forward to a lovely little Thanksgiving celebration on Thursday, a half day for me on Wednesday (pep rally in the morning though, send good thoughts) and plenty of things made for one of our favorite days of the year. I'm feeling thankful for your patience and for the day to fold fabric, gather surprises and see the new bedroom color in each change of the light.  Happy Weekend to you and yours. 

polyvoring... and not much else...

Perfect Bedroom by Gehring Road... Jen featuring an anthropologie

Where we are... teaching, working, sanding, priming, Lowes visiting, Denver traveling, not sleeping, Glee watching, Open Housing, pillow purchasing, deciding on paint, second guessing, couch purchasing (almost...), blog avoiding, mum buying, fall cornstalk decorating, writing and writing and writing for grad classes, vacuuming (said cornstalks out of Jetta), and did I mention exhausting? These past few days have been hectic.  The house is coming along and is getting to a very exciting stage.  I'm second guessing all of the decisions I've made for our bedroom, but finding inspiration all over.  That beautiful appliqued quilt set is fromGarnet Hill...I love it, though my inner sewist is telling me I could totally make something like that... if I could find a spare hour or two. Those paint chips are our final three (surprise Rob, we have more possibilities!) Storm, Sea Haze and Coventry Grey respectively.  That orange chair is from Target and one I keep going back to (sometimes in the yellow), but I really just want the fabric to cover a chair I picked up on the side of the road... that sits in the basement unloved...sigh.  I saw the cutest use for antique spools over at Design Sponge. I really couldn't love that dresser from Anthropologie more... how perfect would that be for a lovely TV stand or kitchen sideboard? 

Ok, so clearly there's been some window shopping and perfect bedroom dreaming, but that has been so calming. Our perfect-storm of a week is definitely flying by. Much to do, even more sleep to catch up on. I did just want to stop in and give you this very listy window in.  I promise to leave the polyvoring to a minimum for the time being, ahem. Many hopes that you are enjoying the start to Fall... I'll change this little blog's header for fall... let's say before winter! Happy Fall...