Brightening Things Up

I have been trying to brighten things up a little in my house. When I originally decorated it, I was married and everything turned out very masculine. Not on purpose, but I didn't want it too girly. I love dark woods and warm colors. Well, that combination tends to be fairly masculine...

After the divorce I started lightening up a little. I replaced the gold curtains with white, I made bright happy pillows for the couch, I have a beautiful white duvet cover for the spring and summer. But, a lot of my furniture is still very dark and probably will be for quite a while - mainly because I have two growing, active, dirty little boys. A white couch is not conducive to anybody's sanity...

A few weeks ago, I found a pretty, light colored, cheap quilt to use as a table cloth. There is NO WAY I could have used one of the many (as in hundreds) of quilts in my family since my mother is a hard-core quilter and quilts are heirlooms and need to be protected...e.i. she gets mad if the boys use their quilts off their beds, as in dragging them around the house or any of the other things that boys do with blankets...

I painted some candlesticks that I have had for about 5 years white and moved them together with some white containers I have bulbs growing in.

I'm finding that I have been very attracted to romantic, peaceful looking spaces...maybe my imagination is trying to tell me something.

New Camera and Strap

I've been wanting a nice camera for a very long time. I used to love photography and my dad was always very encouraging. He bought me used darkroom equipment and a nice, used camera when I was about 13 and it was something we shared together. However, after I found boys and moved away to college, photography sort of went by the wayside. Though I never lost my love of beautiful pictures and always "see" pictures wherever I am.

To say that digital photography has revolutionized the way we take and view pictures, is an obvious understatement. Both my father and I still have our film Minoltas and my dad has several very nice lenses to go with his. But all our photography stuff has been sitting in a corner unused.

After some research on new DSLRs, turns out, Sony bought out Minolta and their new DSLRs take the old Minolta lenses!!! But, I haven't been purchasing anything new. I have been thinking about this camera for the past 8 months or so...

One of the advantages to purging, is selling. I usually donate all of our unused stuff, but this time I decided to list my old books and textbooks on half.com. And they have been selling! Add that money to the unexpected money I received from Christmas, I had enough money to purchase my new camera.

Strangely, I think I might actually be a reformed shopaholic, because I have felt a little guilty about this purchase! Usually after purchasing something I really want - I'm completely excited and happy...

I've been trying to play around with my new camera when I have any spare time (which isn't much, unless it's after 10 pm and then I'm usually horizontal and mindless...)

All of this rambling is to say that I am embracing my new camera and will no longer feel guilty for buying something nice for myself...

Soon, I will be posting pictures! Hopefully, even some good ones...

So, look at the the beautiful strap!!!

I saw this tutorial a while back on Design Sponge, and I promptly made this while the battery was charging before I could even take a picture...