Buttons Magee Weblog

Thrifting a home

Yesterday was my "in town" day.  Usually, once a week I leave the island for the entire day to run errands, do shopping, etc.  All of our stores are in one place in Corpus Christi, so combining it all into one day makes more sense than constantly driving back and forth between the island and the city.  Someplace I make a point to visit once a week is our local Salvation Army.  Many times I leave with nothing, but often I can find some real gems.  

See, I have two big philosophies when it comes to decorating...1. don't pay full price unless absolutely necessary.  2. A bit of age and patina on something gives it more authenticity.  A house with a mix of old and new instantly feels lived in  and collected over time.  The patterned basket in the photo above was my thrift store treasure yesterday, and for only $8.  When I first began thrifting it was out of necessity; we were so broke and yet I wanted a lovely home I could be proud of.  We were able to live in a space well beyond our means because I spent so much time looking for cast offs.  Now, although we don't need to buy our things secondhand, I just can't imagine filling a room with all new furnishings.  It really is the mix of both that make an interesting space.  

So I thought I would go through the main living room and share with you the source of it's furnishings.

First things first...The large flax-colored sofa is new.  We bought it this year from Pottery Barn.  

Brass lamp w/ original shade $6 ; blue & white lamp w/ shade $8

Square mid-century side table $5 garage sale; oval table gift from mother-in-law

marble coffee table gift from mother-in-law

mauve armless chair $60 salvation army;  pair of white swivel chairs $85 each

Yellow mid-century sofa $185 furniture consignment shop.  To be reupholstered this coming year.

gold velvet ottoman $5 catholic charity shop

pillows a mix of thrift store, Marshall's, and handmade

brass box on coffee table $7 thrift shop; rectangular wicker tray $20 Target; wicker lanterns $14 each Marshalls

On side table- butterfly coasters $3 set @ thrift shop; Blue box $4 salvation army; Brass tissue holder $5 thrift shop.

Books a mix of thrifted, Amazon, and half price books.

artwork by me.

Other side of room...my artwork over sofa.  Art on other wall a mix of thrifted oil paints and artist friends.  

Mid-century sideboard $85 furniture consignment shop

Blue leather recliner- gift to David from his parents at the start of med-school.

The other white swivel chair.  Pillow on it made by me.

White mid-century lamp w. shade $12 thrift shop

Date palm branch- found on the ground in Houston while on a walk

Basket $8 Salvation Army

Triangle pillow made by me. 

linen blanket $5 thrifted

leopard blanket $24 Target

. . . . . 

If you are trying to decorate a home and feel at a loss where to start, let me offer some thoughts.

1. Say yes to family heirlooms.  Every room in our home has at least one thing in it that was given to us from either David's parents, my parents, or my grandmother.  Older pieces are usually crafted much better than new, and it gives you a great base to start with.  So even if you think it doesn't "go" with your style, use them.  You can always find a fresh new way to incorporate them into your home.  Plus, I like to walk into my dining room and see my grandmother's farmhouse table.  And that coffee table from my in-laws is one of my favorite pieces in my home.  

2. Keep a running tally of things to buy and be patient.  Every time I have been in the market for something new like a side table I will eventually find exactly what I was hoping to get.  It can just take a while.  We needed two new chairs for the living room last year because one of ours had broken.  Sure enough, I found the white swivel chairs while on a trip to visit my parents in Kansas City.

3. Keep an eye for quality.  Sometimes I'll find something that is terrific, but I don't have a plan for where I would use it. Usually, I will go ahead and buy it.  You will always find room for a quality piece.  And really, the only things I regret are pieces of furniture I didn't buy because I couldn't think how to use them.  About four years ago I passed up a gorgeous antique bridge table for $30 because at the time that was a big part of my weekly budget.  I still think about how great that table was.  

4. Fill in the gaps with new pieces to keep the space feeling fresh.  If you only have old things the room can start to look like a garage sale.  Stores like Target have great basics like trays, rugs, and pillows. Marshall's and TJ Maxx are where I find my slightly more interesting accessories as well as more designer brands to add a more luxe feel to my home.  From time to time you can find some really amazing bargains in those places.  The lilac pillows on the sofa above are Ralph Lauren Home.  Our bedroom comforter is Calvin Klein.  I've found Versace bottle stoppers, Vera Wang old fashioned glasses, Orla Kiely notebooks, Kate Spade vases...the list goes on and on.  

5. Real paintings always look better than a poster.  Hit the thrift stores for old oil paintings...usually anywhere from $5-$25 apeice.  Shop online sources like Etsy.com for all kinds of original art at reasonable prices.  If you are creative, paint some inexpensive canvases yourself like I did.  Photographs are another great option.  If you have a wonderful photo of your own, have it blown up really large and hang it for a modern look to your room.  

6. Find a color scheme and style that suits you, then stick with it.  For example, I like rusts, corals, delft blue, brass, lilac, yellow, and blue-green.  Even though I love most all colors, I won't generally buy something outside of this color range.  I won't buy a large red accessory because it just wouldn't work with my overall scheme.  Additionally, I am not a fan of rustic, country-style furniture so I won't buy pieces like that.  I'll be patient until the right style comes along.  

7. Give it time.  I'd say David and I really started working on our home six years ago, and some of the pieces we had even before that.  You will not have instant perfection after six months.  Be patient, and little-by-little you will see your house begin to take shape.  

Wake up call

There are few things that make you feel as grown up as signing up for life insurance.  We've been working on that recently.  Not only it is crazy to be forced into thinking about putting a price on mortality, but it makes a person feel geezery.  But, it must be done.  

Honestly, it was the wakeup call I needed.  For months now I have been toying with the idea of getting in better shape.  But of course, there are all the excuses one gives...I have no time, I'll start next month, I'm tired, etc.  But when the insurance examiner pulled the scale out I knew it was time to cut the crap and get serious.  

One big bonus to the insurance issue though is we got bloodwork done, and mine all looks terrific.  All my cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels...all that jazz was right where it should be.  It means that even though I need to lose weight, I at least know I am eating the right foods.  So although I am working on portion control, I'm not having to battle an additction to twinkies or something.  

For anyone trying to get in better shape, I thought I'd offer up a list of the methods that seem to be working for me.  I've already lost 12 lbs and feel more energetic already.

1. Get a partner.  David is totally on board with me on this.  We are able to encourage each other.  This really helps if I'm having a bit of a pity party.  He'll just remind me about the benefits in the long run and I quit focusing on immediate results.  He has the sweet tooth, so I help keep him on track with the snacking.

2. Make exercise as easy as humanly possible.  Don't think you are suddenly going to be able to run three miles a day if you hate running.  Find that thing that you don't mind and do that.  I know I needed a way to workout whenever the urge struck, whether it was at 6am or 9pm...or even 20 minutes before picking up the kids.  We invested in an elliptical machine and it's the best thing I ever did.  It's not pretty, and sits in our bedroom, but I am able to wake up, pull on my shoes and walk right over to work out.  

David, on the other hand, works in a completely dark room all day.  He wants an activity that gets him outside as much as possible, so he goes for a walk before and after work on the beach.  

3. Fit exercise into your day in bits.  Research has shown that two 20 minute sessions is just as effective as one 40 minute session.  It is much easier for me to hop on for a quick 20 minutes a couple times a day than try to find a whole hour block.  This also means less monotony in my routine.  Some days I do two 20min workouts.  Others, just one 30 minute block.  Sometimes I'll do a 20 and then a 30 if I feel really good.  I will say though...if you use this method you have to really commit to the twenty minutes.  It has to be heart pumping..you can't spend five minutes revving up to your workout.  

4. Find something you only do during your workout.  I love watching YouTube videos by makeup artists and the like.  So I only watch them during my elliptical time.  This way, if I am feeling like watching YouTube I go exercise.  It gives me something to look forward to.  

5. A Fitness tracking app makes a huge difference!  We are using My Fitness Pal.  It tracks your calories and exercise so you can really stay on track.  In addition to the giant food library they have, you can also scan the barcodes of food packages making food tracking relatively painless.  By doing  this I have realized that I was eating the same portions as David, someone twice my size. I should be eating 1,000-1,200 calories a day; he can have over 2,000.  We also realized we were eating the right foods, but adding too many fats into them.  It has helped me when cooking to really see exactly what I am putting into my recipes.  I don't just toss in that extra tablespoon of olive oil anymore.  Since we are both using it we can track how we are doing together.  This app has really kept me motivated.  And I don't feel cheated of anything.  If we want to eat out for dinner, I just keep track of more modest food choices for my other meals that day.  

6. Don't make yourself an island.  I don't eat any special foods.  The entire family eats what I cook.  We already ate a diet pretty heavy in veggies anyway, but we talk a lot about why certain foods are good for you.  Tonight is broiled salmon with asparagus and a salad.  The girls get ranch dressing while we eat balsamic, but other than that they eat what we eat.  It is important for me that the girls don't hear me talk of "dieting" or "getting skinny."  I want the girls to see a mother with a healthy body image, so we focus on healthfulness, and energy instead of it being about looks.  

Anyway, I'm not some crazy weight loss story yet.  I have a long way to go, but I'm not in a hurry.  It took ten years and two babies for be to put on this weight.  It might take a year to take it off, and that's ok.  But if, like me, you have found yourself with pounds to shed, I hope this might help jump start your fitness routine.  

Also, if anyone would like me to share some of my low calorie family meals, please let me know.  I'd be happy to post some of the recipies.  

 

Photographing Your Children

Last year, when my good friend Jen Altman asked if I would contribute to a book she was working on I jumped at the chance.  All I knew at the time was it was an instructional book on child photography.  But if Jen is involved in something you know it's going to be outstanding.  I quickly got out my equipment and wrangled my two best models for a shoot.  

The name of the book is Photographing Your Children: A Handbook of Style and Instruction by Jen Altman.  Even if you don't have children you would benefit from reading this book.  She explains everything from camera basics like f-stop and ISO to framing a subject and working with light.  Jen's writing style is completely approachable, as if a friend were giving you pointers.  

Chapter six is where you will find me, Through the Eyes of Love.  Jen asked photographers to submit photos of their own children.  We all answered a questionnaire about why we enjoy shooting our family, advice we'd give, our favorite equipment, etc.  The photo above is one of the pictures I contributed.  This is obviously my favorite chapter because I feel like I'm in a room with so many of my friends;  I am privileged to be amongst so much talent.  

If you are interested in improving your photography skills, or want fresh ideas on capturing your children in a photo, this book is for you.  

 

(Somewhat) relaxing weekends

A pretty acurate representation of our weekend.  David had to work, so the girls and I chose to spend the past two days lounging around doing nothing at all.  Ahh, what a luxury!  It's been a pretty tough week with both girls getting sick.  Yesterday Zoe and I made their most requested breakfast, crepes.  Mine with eggs and tarragon, theirs with strawberries, bananas, and nutella.  Pretty soon she'll be flipping the crepes herself.

Last night we decided to go out to dinner at our favorite local restaurant.  They make the absolute best mussles in white wine sauce with french fries...zoe basically consumed the entire plate herself.  Olivia is a fan of the garlic green beans, and David and I shared the seared Ahi Tuna.  Heavenly.  The real antics didn't begin until after we left the restaurant.

We ran up to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things.  I was annoyed by this shopping cart that had been left in the middle of the street.  People were passing right and left and yet no one would just push it aside.  So after we parked I grabbed it and took it back to the cart return.  As I got inside I pushed it so hard that it slammed into the other carts, and David said I strutted off much like Arnold would have in Diff'rent Strokes.  Embarassing mainly because I had no idea I walked like that.  Obviously he thought it was hilarious.

Then, after we pulled into our driveway I opened the car door only to have it hit our ceramic sconces and break one.  Great.  Some days I think you have to throw your hands up and say I give up.  I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and called it a night.  

Today I'm shopping for new sconces.  

for the birds

The birds are one of my favorite things about living on the island.  We are one of the top 10 birding sites in the US.  On any one day just doing my regular routine I will see hummingbirds, seagulls, skimmers, sandpipers, Osprey, blue herons, white herons, pelicans, blackbirds, swallows, roseate spoonbills, and lots of hawks. When David fishes on our back deck the pelicans have taken to sitting in the water near him to see if he'll throw them a shrimp.  He'll talk to them and they will open their mouths.  My favorite site is seeing a flock of the flamingo-pink roseate spoonbills fly overhead.

Sometimes they get a bit agressive.  Seagulls, you know I'm talking to you.  They are loud and pushy, always trying to get your snack.  They've pooped on Olivia, which was accompanied by much crying.  And earlier this week, as I was leaving Target, I witnessed a woman carrying popcorn get raided by at least fifty gulls.  They are bullies, so she tried to appease them by tossing down a bit of the popped corn.  Big mistake.  They then surrounded her car.  It was like a scene from a movie, and I wanted to yell out "run, lady, run!"  I'll tell you though, nothing on this earth sounds more like the beach to me than the sound of twenty gulls all squawking at each other.  

Then there are all the birds we aren't skilled enough to recognize.  Just last night during dinner a beautiful little bird with a bright amber breast stopped on our deck railing for a rest.  And occasionally will hear a hoot of an owl that must live nearby, but we've never caught a glance.  

stop and rest

We've been battling a stomach bug this week.  First Zoe, and now Olivia; poor girl had to stay home from school today.  It's overcast and windy today, a fitting forcast for a sick day I'd say.  She'll be watching movies and resting while I spend the day folding laundry.  

 

weekending

Bits of our weekend.  Zoe got some kind of 24 hour bug on Friday night, but rallied on Saturday for a trip to the beach.  It was packed, which I don't always like...but watching all the people come and go, trying to haul their gear was pretty entertaining.  

The weather has been completely ideal all weekend, allowing me to throw the doors open.  We keep counting the days until we can jump into that pool again.  Today we went into town to a bit of swimsuit shopping (the local uniform) and catch the Spurs beat the Lakers at a late lunch.  

I love a laid back weekend.

giving the positive

Just a Friday night here at home.  Nothing special planned, and actually we are all sprawled around the sofas right now doing our own thing.  Just sending some positivity out into the world this evening...thinking of all those in Boston tonight as well as the families in West, TX who lost someone in the fertilizer plant explosion. 

I thought it was Wednesday

Sometime around 4am I woke up with a screaming headache, the kind that feels like an icepick to the brain and sends waves of nausea with any movement.  I think it was raining as well, but honestly I can't remember much other than that searing pain.  Luckily, my wonderful husband took care of getting the kids off to school so I could continue my bed wallow.

That's pretty much where I've been all day, sleeping with the occasional task in between like a shower or picking up the kids at three.  Funny enough, the day grew dark and rainy as time went on, somehow matching my weary feeling.  

Things are on the upswing now.  No more headache really, but that strange loopy feeling you migraine sufferers probably know all too well.  The only funny part of the day was when the girls had to convince me today was Thursday, because I was certain of it being Wednesday.  Olivia said "you feel like you lost a day, don't you?"  Boy do I.

Books to Inspire

Over the past few months I have collected a few truly inspirational books, so I thought I'd share four of them with you.  

The first is Georgia O'Keeffe and Her Houses.  Truly a marvel from cover to cover.  Not only are the photos of her home both beautiful and interesting, but there are all kinds of tidbits about O'Keeffe's life.  The photo above is of her kitchen at Ghost Ranch.  

The next book is Pilgrimage by Annie Leibowitz.  It is not her usual portraiture, but photos from places like Virginia Wolf's home and Abraham Lincoln's hat.  I enjoyed reading about her journey to capture these photos, and love seeing her capture such wonderfully dark images.

Island Life by India Hicks was a gorgeous inspiration on coastal design.  Her home perfectly captures that british colonial style that I love so much.  Both elegant and breezy.

Isn't that desk area brilliant?  After seeing this memorabilia wall of hers I was inspired to start one of my own in our kitchen.  

The final book was a gem I picked up at Half Price Books, From Where I Stand by Mary McCartney.  Mary is the daughter of Linda and Paul McCartney, and obviously inhereted the photographer gene from her mother.  There are so many great shots of celebrities such as Tilda Swinton and Helen Mirin as well as some beautiful intimate shots of her parents and sister, Stella.  

There is an intimacy in her portraits that makes you aware that these people know her.  She has a wonderful style about her approach to portraiture, kind of throwaway.

How about you?  Any great inspirations as of late?  Please tell me about them.

Oh!  And a side note.  I highly encourage you to start watching Mr. Selfridge on PBS as soon as possible.  Masterpiece Classics just get it right every time.  Even David is hooked on this series.