It's been awhile...

I am quite embarrassed to see that it has been so long since I have posted. Even more so when this evening, I saw that one of my facebook friends, the fabulous Pamela Beattie (founder of Venetian Decor http://venetiandecor.ca/ a beautiful site!) had shared a link to SWELL. So, I felt it necessary to post at least a short update, explaining my absence. It is not because I am short of inspiration or ideas but the exact opposite!
Around the time of my last post, on a whim, I went a looked at a house I had been casually admiring on the internet. We are not homeowners, yet, and have been living in our cozy flat since moving back to Central Florida in 2008.
The house I had stumbled upon was a 1927 craftsmen bungalow on over 1/3 acre lot, on a tree lined street, just steps from an amazing little cafe...
My fiance joked that I should check out the inside because I would surely find that my imagination was building it up to be something it wasn't. Probably had horrible wallpaper or a horrendous layout or in major disrepair. That would be the end of it.
Long story short, I went and saw the house and the moment I stepped inside, I was in LOVE. It was everything I had ever dreamed about in a house...front porch, wood floors, original hardware on the doors, a brand new remodeled kitchen (sans appliances but that could be fixed with a very fun shopping trip!) and a yard that I could perfectly picture getting married in!! I wouldn't even have to paint one room! Seriously, this house was meant for me. But, we were in no way in the market for buying a house and the price was still what we considered a little steep for us. So, I tried to put this little dream house out of my mind...until the following week when the price dropped by over $30,000. I took this as a sign and we decided we should take the plunge.
We put in an offer and went and got ourselves approved for a mortgage! Did I mention the part about this being a short sale, as in pre-foreclosure? Yup, there was the hitch to this seemingly perfect plan.
Fast Forward 6 months, and here we sit in limbo. Despite the owner accepting our bid, the bank never saw our offer and the house was foreclosed on. We are desperately trying to get in contact with the bank holding the note, to see if we can go ahead and purchase our dream house. We drive by the house nearly every day and have dragged our heels planning our wedding, while we wait. It is very frustrating, especially when we have the financing in place and the house sits vacant. We aren't ready to give up on this house that would make the perfect home for our little family, even if it means everything seemingly being on hold for now.
However, in the past few months, I have fabulous finds that I am dying to share on here, including my grandmothers china cabinet, an amazing French Porter chair and my beautiful wedding dress.
Perhaps if I spend more time writing and posting my inspirations on here, I will spend less time pining over the house. So, I promise to be faithful to SWELL again.
Thank you to my friends and family who continue to support and encourage my ideas!

Warmly, Drena x

Fingers crossed this will be our home very soon...

A History in Paint

My "painting" overalls, Gap denim circa 1990's

I spent last week helping close friends paint their new home. Whenever I have a painting project, I break out my "painting" overalls. I have owned them for over 15 years and they are now filled with holes, tears and yes, covered in paint. I tried to patch the knees a couple of times, but later decided it added extra "cooling" for painting on hot summer days. The snaps and buttons like to come undone if I reach or stretch too much and apparently, you can see my underwear quite clearly from behind, thanks to more holes!!
Perhaps my favorite detail to this crazy outfit is the story that the paint tells. This was not the intended purpose, but over time and project as the paint flew and splattered, these overalls took on a life of their own. A stranger sees a mix of blues, greens and cream colors. I see my son's nursery, my college bedroom and the faux bricks I painted in my parents front hallway that remain to this day. Most of these rooms are long gone, painted over and re-purposed, but the paint remains on my overalls. My friend took great pleasure in adding her colors to the overalls (cherry cinnamon, periwinkle blossom and some green color that's name escapes me) appreciating the history and becoming a part of it. More memories and more stories, all told by splotches of paint on a pair of faded overalls.
I was a little sad as I folded them up, to return them to their shelf in the guest room closet. But, I was also inspired by that history of paint and look forward to future projects that will be added in many colors!

Mad Men Casting Call ~ The Hunt for Votes is on

http://madmencastingcall.amctv.com/browse/detail/PKC7TV

The hunt for votes begins. It is a little intimidating when you see the top contenders with votes in the thousands (the most popular has over 4000 votes!!) My friends and family are being very supportive, helping me wage a campaign on Facebook and Twitter. I have also posted to several Mad Men blogs and commented on Mad Men articles. I would really just love the chance for my photo to make the top 10 so that it can be judged on it's artistic merit and not just viral popularity. I am looking forward to the Season 4 premiere on AMC tonight. If you haven't checked the show out yet, tonight would be a good time as spoilers (which I have tried to avoid) suggest a new beginning, almost like a new show with the same characters. Until then, back to spamming my friends, family and anyone who will listen!! Accepting votes!!